Although the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro are rumored to be getting several upgrades, an in-development Apple-designed chip for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity won't be among them. This is according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in a new report.
Apple currently uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips made by component maker Broadcom, but apparently it intends to move to its own chip by 2025, meaning the upcoming iPhone 15 will be a couple of years too early to see any potential benefits.
This is similar to previous rumors we've heard about Apple trying to produce its own 5G modem for the iPhone but falling short of the finish line. This 5G chip has been tipped for iPhones for a few years already, but most recently it looks like it's been kicked down the road to a 2024 or 2025 iPhone model, similar to the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip. Rumors and precedent suggest chip maker Qualcomm will again be on the hook for the 5G modems for this year's iPhone.
Who makes these small but crucial parts of a smartphone can be more important than you'd expect. Apple's proved before that using its own chip designs can have a big impact on its product quality, first with the powerful but efficient A-series chips in iPhones and iPads, and more recently with the Apple Silicon-powered Macs and iPad Pro.
If Apple can get its own modems and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chips into its products, it would give it more opportunities to tune the chips for optimum performance and especially
power efficiency for longer battery life. The iPhone 14 Pro Max made our list of the best phone battery life with its long runtime of 13 hours and 39 minutes, but hopefully Apple's smaller phones will last longer on a charge once it has these newer chips.
Even though the iPhone 15 series may not get new connectivity chips, the rumor mill still says they're down to get Dynamic Islands, USB-C charging ports and 48MP main cameras on all models. The Pro models, including an alleged new iPhone 15 Ultra model, could get even more in the form of a periscope telephoto camera with improved zoom, titanium sides and solid-state buttons.
Stay tuned to our frequently updated iPhone 15 hub for all the latest leaks and rumors.
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